Sport
13 March, 2026
Under 13 premiership for Pelicans
BOOKAAR crashed out of the finals of the Colac-South West premier cricket competition in straight sets last weekend, with losses on Saturday and Sunday.
On Saturday, the Pelicans had a 44 run loss to Stoneyford at Cobden.
Seemingly cruising along at 1/70 chasing Stoneyford’s 9/223, a hat-trick to Stoneyford international Kavian Naresh swung the game in the Rattlesnakes favour.
“There were three balls that killed us on Saturday,” Bookaar captain Lachie Green said.
“That hat-trick really dismembered us, we were going pretty well before that.”
Earlier, Green was happy with keeping Stoneyford to 9/223, with Simon Baker making a rare return to the bowling crease.
“Really happy with keeping them to that, especially after they got off to another decent start.
“I threw Simon the ball, he hadn’t bowled for three weeks, it was sort of something I conjured up on Thursday at work.”
Baker repaid his captain with 2/28 from 10 overs, dismissing both Stoneyford openers.
“I was thinking about what I was going to do if they got off to a fast start, and until then I hadn’t even thought of bowling him at all.
“I just needed someone who was going to hit the seam, bowl consistently and give me something, he took a wicket in his first over and bowled a brilliant spell.”
The rain then hit, changing the game.
“It was difficult for them, it also made it really difficult for us.
“We tried to get on the front foot and drive, but we’d slip over and then you go to run, then slip over, it was like we’ll be on the Duckworth-Lewis there for a bit, but we shouldn’t have played, it was just a little bit too wet I think, but we pushed through.”
Bookaar, chasing an amended 207 from 42 overs, were all out for 163.
“We’d back ourselves to chase that score eight times out of 10.
“It was just one of those things that just didn’t quite go to plan.”
On Sunday, Bookaar faced Cobden in a sudden death semi-final at SA Wright Oval.
After crashing to 5/33 batting first, Bookaar recovered to be all out in the 50th over for 225.
Tim Fitzgerald, with 62 from 67 balls, Michael Winzar with 59 from 91 and Green with 38 from 50 led the recovery.
“That 220 should’ve been 280 on a wicket like that, it was a beautiful pitch.”
Winzar earned a promotion to number seven and did the job for his captain.
“I told him to go out there and be aggressive, he’s been our number 11.
“He’s a class player, he is as good as anyone we’ve got, it shows our depth that he has been batting at 11, sometimes the best form of defence is attack and we changed the momentum of the game a little bit.”
Cobden, led by 70 to Campbell Walsh, passed Bookaar’s score in 48.5 overs.
“We bowled really well, I don't think we dropped a catch on the day.
“We were just 20 or 30 runs short with the bat.”
Fraser Lucas was the pick of the Bookaar bowlers with 2/38 from 10, with Baker backing up with another 10 over spell, taking 1/44.
“I think we did a lot of things right, there’s nothing on the bowlers, it comes back to our top five batters not being good enough on the day and on the weekend.”
The disappointment of a straight sets exit lingers for Green.
“From a club point of view, which is the way we like to look at it, it’s been a very successful season with division two in the grand final, the women and the under 13s winning the premiership and the under 17 girls making the grand final.
“It’s just frustrating we’re not getting it done in the top grade.”
Bookaar will line up in tomorrow’s division two decider after a nine wicket win over Cobden in the semi-final at Timboon.
Cobden batted first and were bowled out in the 37th over.
Jeremy Lucas led the way with 4/34 from eight overs, with Myles Sinnott taking 4/35 from five.
Bookaar smashed their way to 1/134 in just 17.5 overs when play was washed out, the Pelicans winning under the Duckworth/Lewis method.
Luke O'Neil was unbeaten on 77 from 54 balls, Stephen Fitzgerald made 45 from 47 with Henry Green six not out.
Bookaar will play Pomborneit tomorrow in the grand final at SA Wright Oval.
On Monday night, Bookaar took out the under 13 premiership, defeating Camperdown at Boorcan.
Led by four wickets to Bronte Fitzgerald, Camperdown was bowled out for 74 in 19.5 overs.
Bookaar made 4/86 in reply to seal the win, Harry Sinnott and Nash Kent both made the 20 run retirement mark, with William Sinnott making an unbeaten 13 in the win.
In the under 17 girls grand final on Sunday, Bookaar was defeated by Tomahawk Creek by 28 runs at CMTP Oval.
Creek batted first and were all out for 78 in 18.1 overs.
Charlotte Hinds took 3/9 from four overs, with Kayla Loving taking two wickets.
Bookaar was then bowled out for 50 in 17.4 overs, Hinds with 19 from 39 balls and Loving with 13 from 48 the only players to make double figures.
Read More: local